Mechanism for feeding fastenings



1. eouwsouam. MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FASTENINGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 19-20 Patented Mar. 7-, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. GOU LDBOURN.-

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FAST ENINGS. APPLICATION FILED- APR 24. 1920.

1,408,452, Patented Mar. 7, 1922;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITE-D STATEKS,

PATENT o FIc JOSEPH eounmsoumv, on rnrons'riin, nivenanm assienonrro,U iTE sHoE MACHINERY CORPORATION; ,or, PA'rERso I, NEW JERSEY,= acoonromrron -OF NEW JERSEY. m i 1 MECHANISM r03 rnnninerixsrmvmes.

To all whomit may concern:

- Be it known that I, JOSEPH GOULDBOURN, asubjectofthe Kingfof England, and resident of Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain Improvements "in Mechanisms for Feeding Fastenings, of which the followingdescription, in connec tion with the accompanying drawings, is*-a serve to confine the nails in the raceway and whiclrpreferably extend close to its delivery end so-as to prevent the nails from being improperlyejected from the raceway slots by the mechanism which CODtIOlSIthQ deliv ery'of the nailsfrom the raceway. It'is frequently necessary that the covers be removed fromover the raceway slots i-n'order to expose the nails, for example, to enable 'theoperator to effect dislodgementof' a j ammed nailor. other impediment to the free movement of the nails down-the raceway; It is, moreover, sometimes desirable to adjust the covers relatively to the raceway;

In an: application of Arthur El J erram, Serial Noi345',764, filed Dec: 18, 1919, for machines for operating on faste'nings, race way mechanism is disclosed comprising a cover movable betweenloperati ve and inoperative positions; on theraceway and constrained to move when 1 shifted from operative to inoperative positions first 'endwise J and then transversely-cf the raceway, thus 45 insuring that it will not interfere with the mechanism at thedelivery endyof the raceway; I

An object of the present invention is to provide -race way meehanism Y of-'*the type disclosed in the above-mentioned application,- which while retaining valuable featuresof the mechanism3desoribed in I said application will be s more convenient: and efficient in operation. 1

Application filedApril 24, 1920; Serial N6. 376,320. I

Specification of t'ais Patent t t 7, 1

An important feature of the 'invention'resides in the provision of an abutment spaced from the raceway and=means arranged to be interposed between the abutment and the raceway for retainingthe raceway cover in operative position over the "raceway;

Further features of the invention pertain to raceway mechanism comprising a cover mounted onthe raceway for movement endwise andtransversely ofthe raceway'and anab'utment ser'vingto retain the cover in operative position over the raceway and constraining the cover to move endwise before it canbe swung transversely of the raceway, in'which the'abutmentand thepart of the cover-'co operating therewith are relatively adjustable variably to determinethe p'osition ofendwise adjustment of the-cover'on the raceway and, in which the abutment andsaid part'are so constructed and arranged relatively to each other and the cover as to cause'the abutment to complete the'movement of thecover transversely of the raceway upon movement of the cover endwisetowardoperative position; r

"Although the invention will be hereinafter' described as applied to a machine for inserting loose nails of the typecomprising a'double raceway, that is, a racewayhavin'g a: pair of slots, it is recognized that the applicability of the invention is not restricted thereto but that the invention may be used with machines of other kinds for operating on fastenings including fastening inserting machines having raceways formed with a single slott only, .t I

Other'objects and features of the 'invention'will appear as th'e description proceeds and winbe pointed out in the appended claims. i

Inthedrawings, V-

Fig; 1' isa' viewin' elevation of a raceway and coveramech'anism for the back slotof th'euaceway: constructed according to the inventiongr 1,: i

Fig; 2 is a plan view of the cover'mech anism forthe' baclt slotof the raceway:

Fig. 3 is a: view in elevation of the raceway and the cover mechanism for the front slot; of the-raceway Fig 4 isa view inplan ofa portion of the coverforthe ra p slot of the raceway showing the means for'retaining the cover in 0perative positionover 'the' slot;

so t

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the raceway and the cover mechanism for the slots of the racewaylooking toward the left in Fig. land showing the raceway in cross section; and

Fig. 6 is a view in plan of a double race-.

.As shown, the nails are delivered from the raceway by a separator 9 to a passage-in a fastening receiving member 10, a retainer 11 being provided to prevent the escape ofnails fromthe front slot 4 when nails arebeing delivered from the back slot 6. The cover 12. forthe front slot 4 is mounted for movement endwise ofand transversely of the raceway 2 on a shaftv14 supported in bearings 16 and 1 8 in a bracket 20 secured to the front wall of the raceway. Asshowm'the cover 12 is provided with lugs 22 and 24 arranged to slide loosely on the shaft 14. A spring 26 encircling the shaft 14 between the lug 24 and a collar 28 fast on the shaft tends to move the cover 12 toward thedelivery end of the raceway. In orderto. retain the cover in operative position over the slot 4 and to constrain it to move endwise beforeit can be turned away from the raceway about the shaft 14, thus insuring that the cover in its movements. between operative and inoperative positions will not interfere with/the mechanism at the delivery end of theraceway, an abutment 30 is secured to the bracket 20 in spaced relation to the raceway such as to enable the lug 24 on' the cover to be interposed between the. raceway and theabutment The abutment 30 (see Fig.4) is,

preferably, made wedge-shaped in horizontal cross-section and, has its inner face inclined toward theraceway in thedirection of the delivery end of the raceway, and the con- 1 tacting face 32 of the lug" 24-is correspondingly finclined. The endivisemovement of thecorer 12 under theaction of thespring 26 is limited by engagement of the lug 24 with the abutment 30, and to the end that the-posiv tion of endwise adjustment of the cover on the raceway may be variably determined; the abutment is adjustably mounted on the bracket 20, for example. by means of a screw and slot connection 34. lVithdrawa-l of the cover 12 from operative position is obtained by pressure of thekoperators finger upon. a finger piece 36 on the cover,i such pressure moving the cover; against the action-of the spring 26 until the inclined facesof'the lug 24 and abutment 30 are moved Out Of g ment with each other, after which the cover 12' may be swung i about the shaft 14, thus car-T- ry ng the lug 24ibeh1nd, the abutmentfitlto position.

be held thereagainst by pressure of the spring 26 so that the cover will remain latched in retracted and outwardly'swung are made U-shaped and in the, bottom of eachof the bearings is a springpressed plunger 36 upon which the ends of the shaft 14 actually rest. Threaded through the side of each bearing is a horizontal conicalscrew 38 with a knurled head 40.. The heads 40 are formed with a series ofrecesses adapted to co-operate with spring-pressed detents 42 housed in the bearings. The detents 42 serve by engagement with the recesses of the head 40 to hold the screws in their adjustedposition. The conical end of each screw 38 presses upon the upper surface of the shaft 14in the Ushaped bearing, and by turning the screw in or out the shaft in the bearing may be pressed down more or less against the action of the spring-pressed plunger 36 at the bottomof the bearing. In

this way bothends of the cover are upheld yieldingly against a positive stop, that'is, the conical end of the screw, and either end of the shaft may be raised orlowered without moving the other. The. shaft is prevented from endwise movement under the actionof cured to the back wall of. the raceway. The i bearing 50 is formed to provide an abut- Inent 54' spaced from the raceway, and a block 56 adjustably connected to the housing45- by. a pin and slot connection 57 is arranged to be interposed between the abutment 5'4 and the raceway-tolretain the cover 44 inoperative position over the slot 6. The contacting faces of the abutment 54 and block 56 areinclined similarly to the-corresponding faces of the abutment 30 and lug 24; v A spring 58 encircling. the shaft 46 between the bearing 48 and a collar 59 fixed to the shafttends-to move theho'using45. and cover 44endwise; toward the delivery end of'the raceway.- The housing 45 has a the manipulation of the cover 44 toward andfrom operative position on the raceway.

The movement of the cover 44 to operative position is further facilitated by disposing the contacting faces of the abutment 54 and block 56 above the shaft 46, so that, when theh'ousing 45 has been swung. toward the raceway far enough to carry the forward edge ofth'eiblock56 out of engagement with the rear edge'of the abutment 54 and the spring 58 thereby rendered operative to move the housing 45 endwise toward the delivery end of the raceway, the abutment 54 acting. on the block 56 will complete the transverse movement of the housing 45 and cover 44 to operative position.

The cover'44 is constituted by a vertically disposed blade inserted in a vertical slot in the housing 45 and inasmuch as access cannot readilybe had to the back'wall of the raceway to 'adjust the housing. 45 the'cover is renderedadjustable' relatively to the housing. Preferably, thecover is'mounted for adjustment in thehousing so that either or both of its ends may be adjusted vertically relatively to the housing and the raceway 2. For this purpose, the housing 45 has threaded in it two screws 61 which have milled'headsat their upper ends and project downwardly fromtheir heads in such directionsthatthe screw associated with the end of'the housing 45 near the bottom of the raceway points downwardly from its head toward that end of the raceway and the other screw points dox'vnwardly from its head in the opposite direction. Both screws lie, when the cover 44 is in operative position, inclined at approximately 45 to the vertical so as to bring their heads in a position near the front of the machine and more accessible to the operator than they would be were the screws in a vertical plane. The screws 61 have conical ends to engage the upper surface of the cover and have associated with their heads to co-operate with a recess or a series of recesses in the latter, spring-pressed detents 62 having the same function as those described in connection with the cover mechanism for the front slot 4 of the raceway. The cover 44 is upheld against the conical ends of the screws 61 by a-leaf spring 64 inserted in a longitudinal slot 66 in the blade and between the upper surface of the slot and a pin 68 fixed in the housing 45 and projecting into the slot. To locate the cover 44 in the housing 45 lengthwise therewith while permitting adjustment of the cover 44 vertically in the housing, the cover is formed with an upright slot 70 entered by a pin 72 projecting from'the hous-' ing.

. he conical end of the screw 61 associated with the housing 45 at the delivery end of the raceway is located substantially at the center of curvature of the curved end of the raceway so that adjustment of the end of the cover remote from the delivery end of the raceway will have a minimum effect on the relative positions of theraceway and cover at the delivery end of the raceway.

Having fully described my invention, what'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a raceway, a raceway cover, an abutment spaced from the raceway, and a block arranged to be interposed between theabutment and the raceway for retaining the cover in operative position over the raceway. i

2. In mechanism for fecding'fastenings, a raceway having a slot, a cover for the slot movable between operative and inoperative positions relatively to the slot, a wedgeshaped abutment spaced from the raceway, anda member carried by the raceway and arranged to be interposed between'the abuts mentand the raceway to retain the cover in operative position.

3. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a

raceway, a cover for the raceway, means for ment and the raceway, the abutment and the member being relatively constructed and ar ranged'topermit the cover to be moved to inoperative position by manipulation first endwise of the raceway and then transversely of the raceway.

4. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a raceway, a cover for the raceway, means for mounting the cover on the raceway for movement transversely of the raceway, and means for constraining the cover against such movement constructed to be rendered operative or inoperative by endwise movement of the cover and comprising an abutment spaced from the raceway and formed to present a face inclined toward the raceway in a direction toward the delivery end of the raceway and a member carried by the cover and movable into engagement with said face upon endwise movement ofthe cover toward operative position on theraceway. I

direction in which the cover is moved by the spring and a member" movable with the cover and arranged to be interposed between the abutment and, the raceway, one of said last-mentioned parts being adjustable to determine variably the limit of endwise movement of the cover on the raceway.

6. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a raceway, a raceway cover movable endwise along the raceway, and means for retaining the cover in operative position over the raceway constructed and arranged to move the cover transversely of the raceway upon endwise movement of the cover.

7. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a raceway having a slot, a cover movable transversely of the raceway toward and from the slot of the raceway, and means rendered operative by movement of the cover toward the slot of the raceway to move the cover endwise of the raceway and to complete the transverse movement of the'cover to operative position over the slot of the raceway.

8. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a raceway, a cover,a shaft on which the raceway cover is mounted for movement transversely of the raceway, a spring on the shaft for moving the cover endwise of the raceway, and means for moving the cover transversely of the raceway upon endwise movement of the cover in one direction. I

9..In mechanism for feeding fastenin s, a raceway constructed and arranged to dive capable by itself of supporting a row of fastenings, a cover for the raceway, yielding means tending normally to move the cover away from the raceway, and meansco-operating with the yielding means to determine the position of the'cover with relation to the raceway. i i

10. In mechanism for .feedingfastenings,

independent means for adjustably limiting the movement of the ends of the cover away from the raceway variably to determine the positions of the ends of the cover relatively tothe raceway.

11. In mechanism for feeding fastenings, a raceway having a slot, a cover forthe slot, a housing in which the cover ismounted, a leaf spring supported in the housing and operable on the cover to move it away from the raceway, means for constraining the cover against endwise movement in the housing, and means cooperating with the spring to determine the position of the cover relatively to the raceway. a V j Y 12. Fastening feeding mechanism comprising a raceway provided with a slot, a coverfor said'slot, a shaft by which the cover is carried for movement transversely of the raceway, bearings for the shaft car} ried by the raceway, a spring arranged yieldmgly to urge the cover away from the raceway, and means for adjustably positioning the cover under the influence of said sprin In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH "GOULDBOURN. 

